Taste
by amberpire
Summary: "A kiss for your troubles." ;Ciel/Sebastian; Set during Season One.


**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Kuroshitsuji._

_This story takes place during the first season.  
_

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It was a scream splitting the late London sky that caught his attention.

Ciel stops his feet, turning toward the sound, the permanent frown already etched into his skin deepening. His gaze slides toward the butler hovering behind him like a shadow. The boy turns slowly, his lone eye slipping up the demon to his right. Sebastian, clad in his usual black, is smiling down at his Master with a degree of fondness. He is already poised for the order he knows is coming.

"Save her," Ciel says, and the taller man bows once before he blurs down the alley.

The human is quick to follow, the tails of his coat billowing behind him as he breaks into a light jog. Some could say he was kind, for most would have walked right on by without giving the scream a second thought. The times were rough, and people knew to stay out of trouble as much as they could. Most people, however, did not have a contract with a demon who had to do everything he was told, and most people did not have the compassion that Ciel Phantomhive did.

It was not that he was exactly known for that compassion - it was almost a secret of his, something he did his best to hide from everyone else. Very few people knew about the multiple charities he donated to on a regular basis, or the enormous amount of money he sent to Aberlain's wife after he died so she and their unborn child could live comfortably. Perhaps it was the child in him, the seeds his mother planted to help in anyway he could, whenever he could, and so when he heard a cry for help, the tiny shreds of humanity that remained in his soul somewhere forced him into action.

It did not take long to find Sebastian. The thundering of his tiny feet come to a halt as he turns around a corner. The situation already seems to be taken care of; Ciel missed all of the action. Sebastian has a man with a scruffy face and dirty clothes by the neck in the air, the gesture so effortless, Ciel cannot help but marvel at it. The woman in question is a crumbled heap on the ground, her skirts gathered in her arms as she peers up with wide eyes at the demon and the man who had been attacking her. Sebastian is saying something Ciel cannot hear, so he turns his attention to the fallen woman. She looks about to vomit, her face a sick plane of white, her arms shaking as she flicks her wide, dark eyes to the boy approaching her. She shrinks away, hands up to protect her face.

Ciel extends a hand. It takes a moment for the stranger to notice, her eyes brimming with tears as they jerk up to slide over the boy's figure. Ciel forgets how small he is because he is never treated that way by those who know him - he is his servant's Master and Sebastian's Lord. His age and appearance tends to escape him at the most inopportune times.

"It's all right." He even manages to quirk one side of his lips into a smile. It is faint, and it struggles, and it probably looks like he has just smelled something unpleasant, but it is better than nothing. The woman lifts a shaky hand and places it into Ciel's, the human boy curling his fingers around it and pulling her to a stand. She stumbles, jerking her gaze between Ciel and Sebastian through the parts in her dirty blonde hair, who has by now released the fiend. The attacker can be heard shuffling in a wild panic out of the alleyway.

"Thank you so much." The woman is beaming, still shaking as she bows slightly, her hands clasped under her chin. "I thought I was going to die, my heart is racing -" She presses a hand over her ribcage and breathes loudly, her back falling against the alley wall.

Ciel turns to watch as Sebastian closes his eyes, a hand crossing over his chest. He bows again. "My Young Master heard you scream and sent me to save you. I believe I have terrified the attacker from ever doing something of that nature again."

The woman turns to Ciel, her face simply glowing. It almost makes the boy uneasy - he cannot imagine feeling that kind of euphoria anymore. The ability has simply escaped him. It burned and smoldered with his mansion, and the ashes only stir in moments few and far between. He simply nods to the woman, flicking his gaze to Sebastian in a silent order to follow. He turns, coat spinning with him as he starts to march toward the exit.

"Wait, young man! I have to thank you properly!"

Ciel stops again, huffing in annoyance. If he had known that saving her would result in this kind of irritating confrontation, perhaps he would have kept walking and left her to whatever fate had in mind. As it was, he turned to let his eyes linger on the woman once more to see her draw alarmingly close, a soft smile on her lips. Ciel takes a step back but she is too quick, advancing on him like a vulture on prey.

"Thank you so much. A kiss for your troubles."

"N-"

Ciel does not have enough time to cut her off, her face pushing against his. Her lips are cold and chapped and Ciel's eyes widen, jerking over the woman's head to fix on Sebastian. The demon is frozen in place, save for one hand pressing against his mouth. He swears he sees the man's shoulders shaking in suppressed laughter.

"Get off!" Ciel shoves the woman back, her feet catching on the cobblestones. She releases a soft gasp of surprise as her bum hits the ground, gathering her skirts again. The boy rubs his mouth on the back of his glove, making a disgusted sound as he spins on his heel. "Sebastian. Let's go."

They are on the street again in moments, Ciel still grunting in disgust as he tries to get the feel of the woman's lips off of his mouth. He whips around as they meet a street crossing, pausing to allow a carriage to move by. "Why did you let her do that? You are supposed to protect me at all costs!"

Sebastian's lips offer a smile. "Your life was not in danger, Young Master."

Ciel grunts, striding across the street. "But my dignity was. Ugh." He pulls his hand back and glares at it, as if expecting to see some kind of poison the woman left on his lips. "I can still taste her. Disgusting."

"Do you wish for me to remove the taste, Young Master?"

Ciel rubs his gloves on the edge of his coat. "Unless you have tea on you at the moment, I don't believe -"

Fingers press on his chin. Ciel blinks in surprise as his body turns with the tiniest bit of strength, his back tensing at the touch. His instinct tells him to bolt, to struggle and run, but then red eyes burn in front of his own and he is paralyzed. These are the eyes that have promised to protect him, to help him carry out his revenge in exchange for his soul. The eyes that have saved him countless times, that will save him as many times as need be until the contract is fulfilled. And Ciel's instincts - to run, to hide - are snuffed out from the smoldering crimson eyes that have done nothing but good.

Sebastian is so close, Ciel can no longer focus on him, not that he needs to. Hot lips mold over his own, a shock of heat startling down his spine and rooting his feet to the cement. A single blue eye falls heavily shut, suddenly feeling lethargic. He sinks forward, hands searching for support, finding it on Sebastian's shoulders. He feels the muscles around Sebastian's lips tighten, a muffled smile waiting behind it.

And then he pulls back and oxygen rips through Ciel's lungs like knives.

He sways slightly, steadying only when long fingers clench around his shoulder. Ciel blinks, foggy vision resetting as he raises his gaze to Sebastian. The butler is smiling, the pleased look on his face almost smug.

"Is that better, Young Master?"

Ciel's tongue subconsciously darts from behind his lips, testing. It doesn't make sense, but it tastes ... _hot_.

The young Earl does not say a word. He turns on his heel and continues to walk, his shadow right over his shoulder.

Sebastian did promise to be the perfect butler.

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**A/N:** _Review? Think of the children!_


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